William hewitt



(No Model.)

W. HEWITT.

METHOD OF MAKING BARBED FENCE WIRE. U No. 276,039. Patented Apr.17,1883. I

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Z *INVENTOR" a5? WMTQQ UNITED STATES PATENT EErcE.

WILLIAM HEWITT, OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORTO THE TRENTON IRONCOMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

METHOD OF MAKING BARBED FENCE-WIRE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 276,039, dated April17, 1883. Application filed November 22, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM HEWITT, ofTrenton, New Jersey, have invented an Improved Method of MakingBarb-Wire Fences, of which the following is a specification.

My method has for its object the manufacture of a barb fence-wire, inwhich both the barbs proper and, the continuous lengths or strands ofstraight metal uniting the same are made out of one and the same singlepiece of wire, the said barb fence-wire being composed of a singlestrand at predetermined intervals along its length twisted upon itself,so as to form laterally-projecting necks or shanks terminated in one ortwo projecting extremities or barbs proper.

In the accompanying drawings 1 have represented, Figures 3 and 6, twopreferred forms of such barb fence-wire as the practice of my methodproduces, and have also represented, as clearly as is possible, bypictorial illustrations, Figs. 1 and 2, 4 and 5, the several stages ofsaid method. All the figures of the drawings are elevational views ofsections of barb fence-wire, either as it appears in the process ofmaking or after ithas been completely made.

In the practice of my invention, providing myself with wire of thedesired character, I

by any convenient; means first form an open or U-shaped loop/by takingor pinching up a portion of the straight wire, and then twist up 7together the two sides of the open loop so pinched or taken up close tothe straight longitudinal portions on either side of said open loop, soas to form a twisted shank bounded by the contiguous straight lengths atits base and externally terminated in a continuous closed loop. I haveillustrated these steps in Figs. 1 and 2'i11 Fig. 1 representing thewire as pinched up at intervals to form open or U-shaped loops laterallyextending and preferably right angular to the axis of the main wire orstraight strand, and in Fig. 2 representing the U-shaped open loopsshown in Fig. 1, twisted tightly upon themselves for a portion of theirlength, commencing from the straight portions or strands, and beyondsuch twisted portions or stems terminated in a continuous closed loopsubstantially of the character represented. Having formed these twistedshanks and closed loops, 1 sever the latter, preferably transverselyacross on a line parallel with the strands or straight lengths, and thusform such a barbed fence-wire as is represented in Fig. 3.

In Fig. 4 I have represented a method of forming the U-shaped or openloops, which are first pinched up from the straight wire, on oppositesides thereof; and in Fig. 5 I have represented these open loops twistedtogether to form twisted shanks with continuous closed loops at theirouter extremities,and each twist projected in a plane at right angles toits neighbor, in the manner clearly represented in the drawings, and insuch mannerthat every fourth loop trends in the same direction.

In Fig 6 I have represented the loops of the twisted wire of Fig. 5cutoff to form points beyond the twist.

It is obvious that it is inconsequential to the practicing of theinvention proper as to what amount of wire is pinched up to form thetwisted shank and closed loop, or as to what extent the twisting iscarried, provided that a 7 5 closed loop be formed beyond the twist,which loop is adapted to be out or divided to leave one or twoprojecting ends, substantially as shown. This cut is preferably made, asstated, N transversely across the loop, as represented in Figs. 3 and 6;but it may be made so as to leave but one spur or extremity. This,however, is not to be understood as restrictive of any preferred sectionof the loop, the object being to nip, as it were, a piece out of theloop, so as to leave two projecting points or barbs. The direction whichthe twists shall take from the main strand is also indifierent, as alltwists may point in the same direction, or as all may lie in the sameplane, but point alternately on opposite sides of the strands, or, as isprobably advisable in practice, as all may point in separate andindependent directions.

It is obvious that any method or wire-looping machine may be employed toeffect the loop- 5 ing of the wire, although such a machine as waspatented to William Wilson, Jr., in and by Reissued Letters Patent No.9,404, dated October 12, 1880, is well adapted, with slightmodifications, for the purpose. I00

The wire produced by the above method is not only easily made, but isless expensive than many other barb-wires now in use.

In cutting oil the loop it is preferable to cut from both sidesinwardly, so as to form an awl-edge on the projecting extremities of thedivided loop, as shown in the drawings. This, however, is not essential.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent- The method of making a barbed fence-wire, whichconsists, first, in taking a piece of wire of any desired material andthickness, and at predetermined intervals along the length

